Humidifier



Jime- 10, 1941. R E, MlLLER 2,244,792

HUMIDIFIER Filed July 19, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l n LR c1. EA NER IIIwill" will June 10, 1941. R. E. MlLLER HUMIDIFIER 2 sheet'ssheet 2 FiledJuly 19. 1940 Patented June l0, 1941 nUMrmFiEa Ray E. Miller,-Gilbert'svl1eN. Y., assigner of one- Ahalf to Daniel E. Shaw,Binghamton, N. Y. f

Application July 19, 1940, Serial No. 346,439

v(Cl. 26h-107) My invention relates to humidie'rs for exploi 5 Claims.

sive enginesjand hasas one of the principal objects thereof theprovision of a humidifier 'so constructed land arranged as to deliverhumidiiied `air toi therengine for mixture with the explosivechargeswhereby to increase the efficiency of the operation of the engine and toeffecten economy of raw fuel consumption, for instance, gasoline.'4

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of theabf'nvedescribedV character which is so constructed and arranged as todeliver humidied air to the intake manifold ofthe engine and tol thecarburetor thereof through the medium of the Vair cleaner. y

"Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the abovedescribed character whichis simple in construction, durable in use,eflicient in operation, and economical in manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be' app-arent froml the followingdescription, appended claims and annexed drawings. Y l Referring tothedrawings whereinlike reference characters designate like partsthroughout the several views; A

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my invention and illustratingthe samfein connected relation withthe'air vcleaner and intake manifoldofen explosive engine.

Figure 2 is a-'detail sectional view taken on a l line 2-2 of Figure i.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on aline 3,-3of Figure 1.'y

Figure lisa sectional view taken en a line lI--4 Figu'refl.A l

Figure 5 is a sectional viewtaken on a line 5--5 of Figure l.' u fFigure i vis aside elevation of the upper disk assembly.

Figure '7 isa side` elevation of` the lower disk assembly in connectedurelation with the supporting standards. s l n Y In practising myinvention, as illustrated in the drawing-s, I provide a cylindricalcasing III constituting a humidifier container and which is pro-` videdwith ran open top and a closed bottom II. One side of the casing I isformed with an offset section I2' having its lower portion in fullcommunication with the casing as illustrated in Figure 5. The upperportion of the section l2 coacts with the upper portion of the side wallI3 of the casing to provide an opening Il in which is fixed the lowerend I of a gage housing I6, the upper end I1 of said housing I6 beingprovided with a transparent window I8.

The lower end I 5v of the gage housing is formed with a pair ofupperfand lowerjbearings in which is 'slida'bly mounted atiioat rod AIs. The lower end of the float 'rod i9 Vhasfiixed thereto a float 20,While the upper end of saijd rod is provided 'witha telltale membervZl,for uinstaura-aa colored ball, whereby thelposition of the float 2i!with respect to the casing maybe readily observed.

.Mounted vin they casing is4` Aa lpair of upright standards A2l wrappedwithmo'isture absorbing material 22 constituting wicks. vThe lowervendsof the standards 2| res-t upon theV bottom `Ii and have i'iXed thereto,subjacent their upper endsua lower disk assembly 23. The disk assembly123 comprises an limp erforate disk 2l provided with an outer layer ofmoisture absorbing material 2'5 constituting a wick and which engagesthe materialV 22 4of, the standards as vclearlyillustrated Iin Figure 1of the drawings. The disk as-sembly23 is of a suflicient `"liamet'er toVfrictioi'ially engage the inner face ci the 'side wall- I3 'of thecasing and form a seal therewith. 1 j y lReinoi'n'ibly supported on the'upper ends o f vthe standards 2|' is an upper diskass'e'mbly 26- comepris'ihg'a'peifoated 2"l-v provided V.with vall outer layer of moistureabsorbing 'materializa constituting a wick and which engages thematerial 22. The disk assembly 26V is of 'a'fsilicient diameter tofriotionally engage the Yinner face of the upper end of the casing 'toforni a seal therewith. The `disk assemblies '723 andjzt coact withthecasing to provide `an air moisturi-ng chamber 29. The upper end ofthe' vcasing is closed by means of a, perforated dome-shaped and readilyI removable cover 30 whereby airis admitted into the Achamber 29'. i l

Liquid, for instance'water is Vcontained in the casing, subjacent thelower disk assembly, and in which the wicks'of the standards areimmersed.

- Obviously, the wicks olf the standard serve to convey the waterupwardly into 'the chamber 2 9 and meisten the wicks of the diskassemblies,'where by, air drawn through 'the chamber 29 as hereinafter'described, becomes mis'tehed. Furthermore,"as illustrated infFigur'e 1,the water lloatlve# 1y supports the float, thereby enabling an observerto ascertain the Water level through the medium of the telltale asheretofore set forth.

Subjacent the lower disk assembly, the casing has extending therein, oneend of a ller pipe 3| whereby water may be introduced into theoontainer. The opposite end of the filler pipe 3l, is normally closed bymeans of a removable closure cap 32. The side wall of the casing,adjacent the has extending therein one end of a pipe 36, the oppositeend of which is connected to the intakey manifold 31 of an engine (notshown). Both of the pipes 34 and 36 are provided with cut-off valves 38whereby moist air may be supplied to the cleaner and manifold eitherselectively or-simul-v taneously as desired. e

In use (it being understood that the air cleaner f is connected to thecarburetor for the purpose of supplying air thereto for mixture with rawfuel, for-instance, gasoline), operation of the engine creates suctioninthe pipes 34 and 36 and as a result'draws air, through the perforatedtop, into the air moistening chamber 29 where said air ismoistenedthrough the medium of the wicks of the standards anddisassemblies, and thus moistened air is supplied to the air cleanerAand intake manifold through said pipes 34 and 36.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will sofully explain theinvention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adaptthe same for use under various .conditions of service. Moreover, it isnot indispensable that all the features of theinvention be usedconjointly since they maybe employed advantageously in variouscombinations and sub-combinations.

It is obvious that the inventionis no-t conned to the herein describeduse'therefore as itV may be utilized for any purpose'to which it isadapt- Y able. It istherefore to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the specific construction as illustrated. and described asthe same is only illustrative of the principles of operation, which arecapableV of Aextendedapplication in various forms, and thatthe'invention Y comprehends all construction within the scopeloftheappended claims. j v

What I cla-im; is: 1: 1' '1. Means for humidifying the gas supplied toan engine equipped with an air ,cleanerl for supplying air to itscarburetor andwith an intake manifold; said means comprising,` acasing,standards arranged in said casingand provided with wicks throughouttheirilength, a wick covered perforated disk supported on saidstandards;

' a wick covered imperforated disk jxed to said standards below saidperforated disk 'and above liquid contained in said casing, both of'said disks coacting with said casing to provide an air moisti 1 eningchamber in said casing above said liquid, and means for connecting saidchamber 4to said air cleaner 'and manifold for supplying moist air'tosaid cleaner and manifold.

Y 2."Meansfor humidifying theV gas supplied to anV engine equippedwithan air cleaner for sup- 'liquid contained in said casing, both of saiddisks coacting with said casing to provide an air moist- `ening chamberin said casing above said liquid,

means for connecting said chamber to said air cleaner and manifold forsupplying moist air to said cleaner and manifold, and means connected tosaid first mentioned means for controlling the flow of air to saidcleaner and manifold'.

3. Means for humidifying the gas supplied to an engine-equipped with anair cleaner for supplying air to its carburetor and with an intakemanifold; said means comprising, a casing, standards arranged insaidcasing and provided with wicks throughout their length, a wickcovered perforated disk supported on said standards, a wick coveredimperforated disk 'fixed to said standards below said perforated diskand above liquid contained in said casing, both of saidy disks coactingwith said casing to provide an air moistening chamber in said casingabove said liquid, pipes connecting said chamber to said cleaner andmanifold for supplying moist air to said cleaner and manifold, andvalves in said pipes for controlling the flow of air to said cleaner andmanifold.

4. Means for humidifying the gas supplied to an lengine equipped withan. air cleaner for supplying air to its carburetor and with an intakemanifold; said means comprising, a casing, standards arranged in saidcasing and provided with wicks throughout their length, Va wick coveredperforated disk supported on said standards, a wick covered imperforateddisk fixed ton said standards below said perforated disk and abovelliquid contained in said casing, both of said disks coacting with saidcasing to provide an air moistening chamber in said .casing above saidliquid,*pipes connecting said chamber to said cleaner and manifold forsupplying moist air to said cleaner and manifold, and means connectedVto said pipes for controlling the flow of air to said cleaner andmanifold.

5. An air moistening device, comprising, a casingV adapted lto containasupply of water, a pair of wick covered spaced standarclsmounted insaid casing and having their lower ends adapted to be immersed in saidwater, a pair of spaced wick covered perforated and imperforated disksrespectively carried by said standards above said -water and coactingwith said casing to provide an air moistening chamber between saiddisks, ak pair of pipes carried by said casing-and communicating withsaid chamber for supplying moist; airA to an air cleaner and intakemanifold of an engine,and means Vconnected to said pipes for circulatingair through said perforated disk and into 'said chamber to'moisten saidair.-

1 RAY` E. MILLER..

